Multi-window systems, such as Microsoft Windows™ and X11 are well known in the art.
The following terms, in their various grammatical forms, are used throughout the present specification and claims as follows:
“Having the focus”: When we say that a window “has the focus”, it means that the multi-window system directs keyboard and remote control entries towards that window. Generally the application managing the window listens to the events so as to react to user requests.
“Active application”: the active application is the application managing the window which has the focus; that application is the only application that can react to user requests.
“Window manager”: a software component that supervises the window setting up/display/destruction as well as transmitting the focus between windows.
In a multi-window display system, as is well known in the art, several applications can share the screen through the window notion. The multi-window system sends user entries (keyboard, remote control, stylus . . . ) towards a single window having the focus; such a window is also termed herein “the focus window” or the “active window”.
Generally, users must ask to obtain the focus on a window, although it is known that applications will “take” focus without a user request. In general, the last one who asks for the focus usually obtains it.
The following reference is also believed to represent the state of the art:
X Windows System, The complete Reference to Xlib, X Protocol, ICCCM, XLFD (Third Edition, X VERSION 11, RELEASE 5) by Robert W. Scheifler and James Gettys, published by Digital Press, pages 265-268, 366, 367, 380 and 658.
The disclosure of the reference mentioned above is hereby incorporated herein by reference.